Pocket for billiard tables



March 23, 1943. DEB|cK| 2,314,774

I POCKET FOR BILL-man TABLES Filed June 5, 1942 2 I l/ 52 I 1 V 15" INVENTOR,, 15 25 I 22 dfredfi i a Patented Mar. 23, 1943 POCKET FOR BILLIARD TABLES Alfred F. Debicki, Muskegon, Mich, assignor to The Brunswick-Balke- Collender Company,

Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application June 5, 1942, Serial No. 445,837

10 (Jlaims.

This invention relates to billiard table pockets and particularly to the structure by which the pocket itself is supported in the table.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved supporting structure and ornamental covering therefor to carry and partly conceal a billiard table pocket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple pocket-supporting member which can be easily made from sheet material and readily applied to the adjacent structure of the table.

A further object of the invention is to provide a support comprising unitary means for attachment to the table structure, positioning and supporting a buffer pad over the pocket, partially supporting the pocket itself and carrying an external. ornamentalishield to mask the supporting element and the pocket.

It is also an object of the invention to provide 'a pocket supporting member arranged to be secured adjustably to adjacent parts of the table structure to accommodate inaccuracies or irregularities th rein, together with a shield ornamentally masking the support and including means which overlap adjacent elements of the table structure.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of a billiard table fitted with a pocket support and masking shield embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on a larger scale, taken as indicated at line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail section showing the pocket and its supporting structure in elevation and being takenon a smaller scale than Figure 2, as indicatedat line 3-3 thereof;

Figure- 4 is a plan section of the pocket and supporting structure, taken as indicated at line 44- on Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 5-5' on Figure 3.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, the embodiment shown in the drawings and described. hereinafter is by way of preferred illustration only, and it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto or thereby; but it is the intention to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims. 7

The fragmentary illustration of a billiard table in Figure 1 includes the corner leg I with portions of the side frame 2 and end frame 3 engaged therewith, and with a portion of the bed or playing surface indicated at 4. Parts of the cushions 5, 5, are also shown extending from the cushion rails 6, 6, with their depending aprons I, I; and at the corner of the table the rails 6,6, and the aprons 'I, I, extend to opposite sides-of the corner pocket and the gap between them is bridged by the shield member ID associated with the pocket structure and constituting a portion of this invention. 7

This ornamental shield member It may be understood as composed of relatively thin sheet metal, but if desired it might be constructed from some other sheet material such as Vulcanized fibre or one of the various available plastic compositions. It is carried by a sup porting member II of somewhat heavier sheet metal, and when both parts are made of similar metal, such as steel, they may be connected by spot welding, as indicated at I2 i-nFigure 4; otherwise the shield I 0 may be attached permanently to-the supporting member I I by rivets or other suitable fastening means.

The 'member lI includes a vertically extending web portion I3 with lateral flanges I4, I4, and laterally extending ears I5,- I5, integral with the web I3. From the upper edge of the web I3 an arm I6 extends obliquely upward and inward, as seen in Figure 2. Each of the ears I5 is provided with a pair of horizontally extending slots H to receive fastening bolts I8 by which the pocket irons or support- II are 1 secured to rails 8, 8, attached to the edges of the bed 4 and built up with blocks 9, 9, to receive the ears I5, as shown in Figure 4. The bolts I8 are fitted with special tubular, flanged nuts I9 set into the rails 8 and blocks 9. The horizontally extending slots or openings I I afford suflicient accommodation to permit the member I I to be readily secured in place and to adapt itself to any slight irregularities or inaccuracies in the positions of the bolt holes in the rails 8, 8. j

The pocket 29 itself is of the usual construction, being formed of leather with a cricular bottom wall 2| and with a unitary side wall 22 which is slit at 23 and 24 to give the pocket an upwardly flaring shape. The material of the side wall 22 is lapped upon itself and secured by a suitable rivet 25 and the edge of the pocket directly above this fastening is attached to the table structure by tacks 26 serving as the suspension for one side of the pocket. At the opposite side the upper edge of the pocket has stitched to it a flexible tab 21 which extends upwardly against the under face of the overhanging oblique arm l6 of the support H and is attached thereto. The arm [6 also supports a buffer pad 30 having a resilient filling 3| and a flexible covering 32. Inside the pad 30 and under its resilient filling 3| there is positioned a metallic plate 33 perforated for engagement by a pair of fastening screws 34 which extend into threaded holes in the arm i6, as seen in Figure 5. The heads of the screws are accessible through holes 35 in the pad cover 32 and when the pad is thus secured to the arm It, the flexible tab 21 is interposed between the pad and said arm, and is thus clamped between them, being also perforated to accommodate the screws 34.

The lateral flange portions 14, I4 of the support H, serve to position the web portion l3 and the arm [6 outwardly from the parts of the table to which the ears I are secured so as to properly locate and center the pocket 20.

The shield member It includes lateral flanges 40 which closely embrace the flanges i4 and may be spot welded thereto, as shown in Figure 4. The flanges l4 and 40 are disposed adjacent the ends of the aprons 1, 1 of the table structure, and to neatly mask these ends, the shield includes wing portions 4 I, 4 l, which are shown as separate pieces, each with a flange 42 attached to the face of the adjacent flange 40 of the shield. H desired, these wing portions 4| might be made integral with the remainder of the shield; but it may be understood that the structure herein. illustrated as applied to a corner pocket of a billiard table is adaptable for use at the side pocket when modified in only one or two particulars. For such location the ears l5, 15. of the pocket supporting member H will be bent at right angles to the flanges l4, l4, instead of at 1-35 degrees thereto as shown in Figure 4, and the wings 4! of the shield member will extend perpendicularly from the adjacent flange portions 40, lying flatly in a common plane for contact with two adjacent portions of the aprons I at the side of the table, instead of being curved back as shown in Figure 4 to engage the apron portions 1, I,

which are at right angles to each other. .Accordingly the only difference between the shield for the corner pockets and the sh eld for the side pockets is in the formation of the wing portions 4| audit is therefore preferable to make the central portion of the shield as a separate member which can be employed both for the corner pockets and for the side pockets by merely adding to it the proper wings 4 i. As an ornamental feature the shield includes an angular step 43 at each side of its exposed face and the supporting member H is formed with a corresponding step or offset 44 interposed between the web por tion l3 and each flange M.

The upper end of the shield is curved inwardly at 45 with the extreme end portion 45 folded around the upper edge of the supporting arm l6 and conveniently clamped between the under face of said arm and the pad 33. At the lower edge the shield is bent inwardly in a bottom flange 41, which gives a finished appearance and avoids any sharp edges which might injure the players hand when he lifts the flexible pocket 20 from below to remove a ball therefrom.

Iclaim:

1. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a pocket support formed of sheet stock and comprising a vertically disposed web with lateral ears extending therefrom for attachment to the table structure and an arm extending obliquely upward and inward from the web portion, and means for suspending one side of a pocket from said arm.

2. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a

pocket support formed of sheetstock and comprising a vertically disposed web with lateral ears extending therefrom for attachment to the table structure and an arm extending obliquely upward and inward from the web portion, and means for suspending one side of a pocket from said arm, together with an ornamental shield secured to the outer face of said web extending upwardly over the oblique arm and extending downwardly by a distance substantially equal to the depth of the pocket.

3. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a pocket support formed of sheet stock and comprising a vertically disposed web with lateral ears extending therefrom for attachment to the table structure and an arm extending obliquely upward and inward from the web portion, and means for suspending one side of a pocket from said arm, together with an ornamental shield secured to the outer face of said web extending upwardly over the oblique arm and extending downwardly by a distance substantially equal to the depth of the pocket, said shield having laterally extending wing portions to overlap the adjacent portions of the apron of the table.

4. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a pocket support formed of sheet stock and comprising a vertically disposed web with lateral ears extending therefrom for attachment to the table structure and an arm extending obliquely upward and inward from the web portion, and a flexible tab secured to the under side of said arm and depending therefrom for attachment to a pocket.

5. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a pocket support formed of sheet stock and comprising a vertically disposed web with lateral ears extending therefrom for attachment to the table structure and an arm extending obliquely upward and inward from the web portion, said arm having a threaded hole, and a pad disposed against the under side of the arm with a screw extending through the pad into'said threaded hole in the arm.

6. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a pocket support formed of sheet stock and comprising a vertically disposed web with lateral ears extending therefrom for attachment to the table structure and an arm extending obliquely upward and inward from the web portion, said arm having a threaded hole, and a pad disposed against the under side of the arm with a screw extending through the pad into said threaded hole in the arm, together with a flexible tab interposed between the pad and the arm and clamped between them, said tab depending therefrom fo attachment to a pocket.

7. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a pocket support formed of sheet stock and comprising a vertically disposed web with lateral ears extending therefrom, said ears having horizontal, elongated holes to engage fastening members in the table structure and said web having an arm extending obliquely upward and inward therefrom, and means for suspending one side of the pocket from said arm.

8. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a

pocket support formed of sheet; stock and comprising a vertically disposed web with lateral ears extending therefrom for attachment to the table structure and an arm extending obliquely upward and inward from the web portion, and means for suspending one side of-al pocket from said arm, together with an ornamental shield secured to the outer face of said web extending upwardly and inwardly from said oblique arm, with the end portion of the shield folded over the end of the arm, and a pad secured to the under side of the arm and overlapping said end portion of the shield.

9. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a

against the outer surface of said table structure, the web having also an arm extending inwardly from the web portion, and means for suspending one side of a pocket from said arm.

10. In a pocket structure for billiard tables, a pocket support comprising a vertically disposed web portion with lateral ears extending therefrom for attachment to the table structure and with an arm extending obliquely upward and inward from the web portion, a pad secured to the under side of said arm, a flexible tab depending from said arm for attachment to a, pocket, and an ornamental shield covering the outer faces of said web and said arm and extending upwardly by a distance substantially equal to the depth of the pocket, said shield having laterally extending wing portions to overlap a portion of the apron of the table.

ALFRED F. DEBICKI. 

